PRO FOOTBALL : Patriots Lose, 38-14 in Parcells’ Debut : AFC: New England stays close to Buffalo for three quarters before defense gives up 21 points.

The effort was better, but the result was the same for the New England Patriots.

The Patriots stayed close to the Buffalo Bills for three quarters before losing, 38-14, Sunday in Bill Parcells’ coaching return and the debut of No. 1 draft pick Drew Bledsoe.

“Quite obviously, we lost our poise there in the fourth quarter,” Parcells said after the Bills put away the Patriots with 21 points in the final quarter. “I’m not pleased with the outcome and I’m not pleased with the circumstances that occurred late in the game.”

Bledsoe looked impressive at times, but not consistent enough to make winners of the Patriots. Bledsoe completed 14 of 30 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns.

The difference for Buffalo was the Jim Kelly-to-Andre Reed connection. The duo, with the most touchdown completions of any active quarterback-receiver combination, added three more to bring their total to 47.

Reed caught six passes for 110 yards, Kelly threw a touchdown pass to Bill Brooks and Thurman Thomas added 114 yards in 24 carries.

The Bills, leading only 17-14 after three quarters, took control when Kelly completed two touchdown passes to Reed. A 47-yard punt return by rookie Russell Copeland closed out the scoring.

Buffalo defenders Bruce Smith and Cornelius Bennett also played well, with Smith recording two sacks and a forced fumble and Bennett one sack and two recovered fumbles.

With a little less than a minute left in the first half, Kelly connected with Reed on a simple 10-yard crossing pattern from the New England 41. Reed made three tacklers miss on his way into the end zone to put Buffalo ahead, 17-7.